Review Detail

Though part of Kol’s life brings excitement in the form of hunting and gathering for his clan, his romantic life is nonexistent, given there are no young women his age around. When Mya and her family arrive from a nearby clan, Kol is hopeful something could happen between them. However, once he sees not only Mya’s arrogance and disdain towards him, he also uncovers a brutal history between Mya’s clan and another. With violence on the horizon, Kol’s quiet life takes a turn for the destructive, and he will have to listen to his instincts while deciding who to trust.

When I first heard the premise of a prehistoric, gender flipped Pride and Prejudice, I was a little skeptic. I love prehistoric settings, and I love Pride and Prejudice, but combining them seemed an unlikely feat. Julie Eshbaugh gracefully and seamlessly tore down all of my doubts with IVORY AND BONE. Kol, a sort of male version of Elizabeth Bennett but quieter, narrates his story directly to Mya, the female Darcy counterpart. Though in the beginning they clearly don’t like each other because of Mya’s attitude and Kol’s uncertainty, the affection Kol feels for her as he tells the story is unmistakable. By the end, the book feels like a love letter from Kol.

Though the characters and pattern of romance follow the threads of Pride and Prejudice, the setting and climax easily take lives of their own. The details in the day to day operations of Kol’s clan (and a few others) are superb, displaying an excellent amount of research. The hunting scenes in particular are as chilling as they are compelling. Though the dialogue sometimes feels a bit too modern to fit the time, Eshbaugh expertly demonstrates the relevancy of love, marriage, and family in any time period. The violent turn of the story towards the climax brings more than one shocking twist, and readers shouldn’t be surprised if they can’t tear themselves away from the story for the last 100 pages or so.

Lovers of Pride and Prejudice, unique settings, heart-pounding action scenes, and fiery ends need IVORY AND BONE in their hands as soon as possible.